HardwareInstallation / PoweringUpTheVIDEO4

Powering up the VIDEO4

Make sure all cameras, audio inputs, external data feeders, etc… are fixed and a Removable CF card is inserted before powering up the unit.

Once everything is ready, just power up the unit and it will indicate the boot progress with LED indicators.

The power supplies in the sport and the professional models of the VIDEO4 unit are different in design, both units must however have a suitable fuse and be securely connected to the power supply. If the power supply to the VIDEO4 is lost, even for a very short time due to a bad connection for example, then the VIDEO4 will stop recording, automatically close all the files that are open and shut down to standby mode.

VIDEO4 sport

The VIDEO4 sport is designed to be connected to a standard 12v automotive battery, and typically draws about 500mA plus whatever power is required for the cameras that are connected. In practice this means that the maximum current that the VIDEO4 is likely to require is about 1A for a system with 4 cameras. The unit must be fused to protect it, for most applications a 1.5A fuse is suitable.

The voltage into the VIDEO4 sport is regulated down to 12v and then used to power the external 12v outputs on the rear connector panel for cameras etc. Note that this 12v regulator can only reduce the input voltage and if the cameras that you are using require 12v, then the power supply to the VIDEO4 must be above 12v. In practice most cameras work down to about 10v so operation is unaffected even with a relatively flat automotive battery. The VIDEO4 electronics will operate down to about 9v at which point the VIDEO4 will complete all “open” video files and shut down.

VIDEO4 professional

The VIDEO4 professional has an improved power supply compared with the VIDEO4 sport and can operate at voltages from 6v to 35v while supplying a regulated 12v to the camera outputs. The VIDEO4 professional requires about 5W of power, plus whatever is required by the cameras, so a typical complete 4 camera system will take about 10W. If the system is run from a 12v source this equated to about 1A, if it is run from a higher voltage then this will decrease and visa versa.